black tom explosion never happened
But the explosion caused major economic harm. The sheer magnitude of the explosions at Black Tom is difficult to fathom. This massive cache of unguarded weapons was an easy target for the Germans, who had already experimented with targeting American ships, factories, and piers. For days, artillery shells and other munitions continued to explode, showering New York Harbor, to include Ellis Island, with embers and shell fragments. Sabotage at Black Tom: Imperial Germany's Secret War in America, 1914-1917 [26] Suspicion at the time fell solely upon suspected German intelligence operatives Kurt Jahnke and Lothar Witzke, who are still judged as legally responsible. INTEL - Black Tom Island Explodes Black Tom -- 100 Years Ago Today, the Night New York Harbor Exploded Some lodged in the Statue of Liberty, damaging her skirt and torch. The Black Tom explosion of July 30th, 1916, was so large it could be felt in Philadelphia, ninety miles away. The explosion,. They were right. In the late 1800s, Jersey City dumped refuse on a rock in New York Harbor. Shortly after 2:00 am, an earsplitting explosion rattled the Brooklyn Bridge, swayed skyscrapers, and shattered glass windows throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. In the early 20th century, enemy attacks on American soil were so rare that many assumed the Black Tom explosion was an accident. A second explosion occurred at 2:40 a.m. In one terrifying, ear-splitting moment, the Great War then raging overseas had come to America. The event that sparked the ban occurred 102 years ago Monday, on July 30, 1916. It is said that three men were seen making their way along the Jersey City's Black Tom docks at midnight. Black Tom 1916 Bombing FBI Long: Terrorism's 100th anniversary - Roanoke Times This was the Black Tom explosion. Listen to TONS of bonus content including: Black Tom Explosion: US WW1 History for Kids - American Historama One thing the authorities initially seemed to agree on was that the explosions werent the work of foreign saboteurs. That night, guards spotted small fires on the pier and . Some simply ran away, thinking there was no way these fires were going to be contained. The Black Tom explosion was an act of sabotage by agents of the German Empire, to destroy U.S.-made munitions that were to be supplied to the Allies in World War I. Nearly everyone in Manhattan and Jersey City was jolted awake, and many were thrown from their beds. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Firefighters were unable to fight the fires until the bullets and shrapnel stopped flying. Shrapnel pierced the Statue of Liberty (the arm of the Statue was closed to visitors after this). It had a reputation as an environmental hazard, and people in New York hated that it was so close to the city. [11], The Lehigh Valley Railroad, advised by John J. McCloy, sought damages against Germany under the Treaty of Berlin from the German-American Mixed Claims Commission. Peter Raceta, the captain of a flatbottom barge in the harbor, was in the cabin watching the fire on Black Tom with two other men. Others attempted to fight the fires and eventually called the Jersey City Fire Department. There still is a cloak of secrecy about what happened on July 30, 1916.
black tom explosion never happened